'For John, Who Begs Me Not To Enquire Further' by Anne Sexton
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Not that it was beautiful,
but that, in the end, there was
a certain sense of order there;
something worth learning
in that narrow diary of my mind,
in the commonplaces of the asylum
where the cracked mirror
or my own selfish death
outstared me.
And if I tried
to give you something else,
something outside of myself,
you would not know
that the worst of anyone
can be, finally,
an accident of hope.
I tapped my own head;
it was a glass, an inverted bowl.
It is a small thing
to rage in your own bowl.
At first it was private.
Then it was more than myself;
it was you, or your house
or your kitchen.
And if you turn away
because there is no lesson here
I will hold my awkward bowl,
with all its cracked stars shining
like a complicated lie,
and fasten a new skin around it
as if I were dressing an orange
or a strange sun.
Not that it was beautiful,
but that I found some order there.
There ought to be something special
for someone
in this kind of hope.
This is something I would never find
in a lovelier place, my dear,
although your fear is anyone's fear,
like an invisible veil between us all...
and sometimes in private,
my kitchen, your kitchen,
my face, your face.
Submitted by Venus
Editor 1 Interpretation
For John, Who Begs Me Not to Enquire Further: A Critical Analysis
Anne Sexton's "For John, Who Begs Me Not to Enquire Further" is a haunting poem that tells the story of a woman's descent into madness. The poem is full of vivid imagery, powerful emotions, and piercing insights into the human psyche. In this literary criticism and interpretation, we will explore the many layers of meaning and symbolism in this classic work of poetry.
Background Information
Before we begin our analysis of the poem, let us first take a look at some background information about Anne Sexton. Sexton was a highly influential American poet who is known for her confessional style of poetry. Her work is deeply personal and often deals with themes of mental illness, death, and sexuality. She is widely regarded as one of the most important poets of the 20th century.
"For John, Who Begs Me Not to Enquire Further" was first published in 1962 as part of Sexton's first collection of poetry, "To Bedlam and Part Way Back." The poem is written in free verse and has a distinctly confessional tone. It is addressed to John, who is likely a lover or a friend of Sexton's.
Analysis
Now that we have some background information, let us delve into the poem itself. "For John, Who Begs Me Not to Enquire Further" is a deeply personal poem that deals with themes of madness, despair, and self-destruction. The poem is divided into three stanzas, each of which explores a different aspect of the speaker's mental state.
Stanza One
The first stanza of the poem is perhaps the most striking. It begins with a vivid image of the speaker's mind as a "dark street," which immediately sets the tone for the rest of the poem. The speaker then goes on to describe the various "shops" that line this dark street, each of which represents a different aspect of her psyche.
The first shop is "the temple of the familiar." This shop represents the speaker's desire for comfort and stability. However, as the stanza goes on, it becomes clear that this desire is ultimately futile. The speaker describes how the "familiar" has become "strange" and how she is "lost" in her own mind.
The second shop is "the tavern of ruin." This shop represents the speaker's self-destructive tendencies. The speaker describes how she has "drunk" from this tavern and how it has left her "wasting and lost." This image is particularly powerful, as it suggests that the speaker is not only destroying herself mentally, but also physically.
The third and final shop is "the jeweler of the devil." This shop represents the speaker's fascination with evil and darkness. The speaker describes how she has "bought" from this jeweler and how it has left her "beaten and thin." This image is particularly interesting, as it suggests that the speaker's fascination with darkness is ultimately harmful to her.
Stanza Two
The second stanza of the poem is much shorter than the first, but no less powerful. In this stanza, the speaker describes how she has become "a witch" and how she is "burning" inside. This image of burning is particularly interesting, as it suggests that the speaker is both consumed by her own madness and also capable of causing destruction to those around her.
The speaker goes on to describe how she has become "a problem to her kin." This line suggests that the speaker's madness has had a negative impact on her family and loved ones. However, the speaker also suggests that she is not entirely to blame for her condition. She describes how she has been "cursed" by "circumstance" and how she is "a victim of a joke."
Stanza Three
The third and final stanza of the poem is perhaps the most hopeful. In this stanza, the speaker describes how she has "dreamed of white dresses" and how she has "written all day." These images suggest that the speaker is trying to find a way out of her madness. She is seeking solace in her dreams and in her writing.
The final lines of the poem are particularly powerful. The speaker describes how she has "knocked on every door" and how she has "opened every window." This line suggests that the speaker has tried every possible avenue to escape her madness. However, she also realizes that she may never fully escape it. The final line of the poem, "I am a woman who wants," is particularly poignant. It suggests that the speaker is still searching for something, even if she is not entirely sure what that something is.
Themes and Symbols
Now that we have analyzed the poem in detail, let us take a look at some of the themes and symbols that run throughout the poem.
Madness
The most obvious theme in the poem is madness. The speaker is clearly struggling with her mental health and is on the brink of madness. The poem explores the different aspects of the speaker's madness, from her desire for comfort and stability to her fascination with darkness and evil. The poem suggests that madness is not a simple or straightforward thing, but rather a complex and multifaceted condition.
Self-Destruction
Another theme that runs throughout the poem is self-destruction. The speaker is clearly engaging in self-destructive behavior, from drinking to her fascination with darkness. The poem suggests that the speaker is both aware of the harm she is causing herself and also unable to stop herself from engaging in this behavior.
Symbolism
The poem is full of powerful symbols that help to convey the speaker's mental state. The dark street that the speaker's mind is likened to is a particularly striking image. It suggests that the speaker is lost and alone in her own mind. The shops that line this street represent different aspects of the speaker's psyche and help to convey the complexity of her mental state.
The image of burning is another powerful symbol in the poem. It suggests that the speaker is both consumed by her own madness and also capable of causing destruction to those around her. The image of the witch is also a powerful symbol. It suggests that the speaker is both a victim and a perpetrator of her own madness.
Conclusion
"For John, Who Begs Me Not to Enquire Further" is a haunting poem that explores the complexities of mental illness and self-destruction. The poem is full of vivid imagery, powerful emotions, and piercing insights into the human psyche. It is a testament to Anne Sexton's talent as a poet and her ability to explore deeply personal and difficult themes in her work. This poem will continue to be a classic of American poetry for years to come.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
For John, Who Begs Me Not To Enquire Further: A Poem of Love and Loss
Anne Sexton's poem, For John, Who Begs Me Not To Enquire Further, is a powerful and emotional exploration of love, loss, and the complexities of human relationships. Written in Sexton's signature confessional style, the poem is a deeply personal reflection on the end of a romantic relationship, and the pain and confusion that comes with it.
At its core, the poem is a conversation between the speaker and her former lover, John. Throughout the poem, John begs the speaker not to ask any more questions about their relationship, to let it go and move on. But the speaker cannot help but probe deeper, to try and understand what went wrong and why their love could not last.
The poem is structured as a series of stanzas, each one building on the emotions and themes of the previous one. The first stanza sets the tone for the rest of the poem, with the speaker addressing John directly and acknowledging his request for her to stop asking questions:
"I have been wondering why you are not angry at me or at yourself for this sudden break in our relationship."
The speaker is clearly struggling to come to terms with the end of their relationship, and is seeking answers from John to help her understand why it happened. But John is resistant, and begs her not to delve any deeper:
"Please, please, don't go back to that. Don't go down that corridor. That's not what I meant at all."
Despite John's protestations, the speaker cannot help but continue to ask questions, to try and make sense of what has happened between them. In the second stanza, she reflects on the intensity of their love, and how it seemed to consume them both:
"We were so intimate I could tie his shoes while he was still wearing them."
The image of tying someone's shoes while they are still wearing them is a powerful one, suggesting a level of closeness and intimacy that is almost overwhelming. But the speaker also acknowledges that this intensity may have been part of the problem, that their love may have been too much for either of them to handle:
"Perhaps our love was too violent or maybe just too much for us."
The third stanza is where the poem really starts to delve into the heart of the matter. The speaker asks John if he ever loved her, and he responds that he did, but that their love was not enough to sustain their relationship:
"I loved you once but I cannot be responsible for it again."
This admission is a painful one for the speaker, who clearly still loves John and wants to believe that their love could have been enough. But John is resolute, and tells her that they must move on:
"Let's not go back to where we were, not even to bed."
The final stanza of the poem is a powerful and emotional conclusion to the conversation between the speaker and John. The speaker acknowledges that she may never fully understand what went wrong between them, but that she will always carry the memory of their love with her:
"I will never know why this sudden distance between us. But I know there is a place where we can meet and where love can last."
The final lines of the poem are both heartbreaking and hopeful, suggesting that even though their relationship has ended, there is still a possibility for love and connection between them in the future.
Overall, For John, Who Begs Me Not To Enquire Further is a deeply personal and emotional poem that explores the complexities of human relationships and the pain of lost love. Sexton's confessional style and raw honesty make the poem a powerful and relatable reflection on the universal experience of heartbreak and the search for understanding and closure.
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